Kosinski, played by Stanley Kamel, appeared in a Starfleet uniform with no communicator and did not appear to have a Starfleet rank, as he is referred to throughout the episode as "Mr. Kosinski". Kosinksi's collar featured a unique rank insignia, a small silver rectangle and a darker rectangle of the same size. It could be that he is a civilian temporarily working for Starfleet and given a uniformed position. His condescending attitude towards Picard and Riker would support the argument that he was not a part of the service or its chain of command. He is also addressed as "sir" by Riker on several occasions lending further credence to the theory that he is outside of the regular chain of command.